Learn how you and your horse can get the most out of your clinic time with these tips from trainer and clinician Mike Brashear.Photo by Heidi Nyland MeloccoTable of ContentsToggleMake Sure the Clinic is the Right Fit for You and Your HorseConsider Training StylesPrep Your Gear for the ClinicHave the Right Mindset at the ClinicCreate a Healthy Balance for You and Your Horse During the ClinicMeet the TrainerBrashears Final Tip for Horse ClinicsAt the start of Mike Brashears clinic in Nunn, Colo., he invitedor nearly commandedstudents to ask questions and speak up if they didnt understand or needed extra help.Youre paying good money to get help, he said. Make sure youre getting what you need while youre here.Brashears mission is to help horses and riders get the help they need to keep working together. After hosting many clinics, he says he can often tell if the horse and rider pair will keep progressing on an upward trend after the clinic: Its all in how the student approaches the clinic, prepares to learn, and asks questions to make sure they can keep working at home. Here, Brashear helps you learn how to learn. He provides tips to find and attend a horse training clinic and get the most help possible so that you can constantly improve your horsemanship.Make Sure the Clinic is the Right Fit for You and Your HorseYoure never going to know all of it when it comes to horses, he says. Let go of that pressure on yourself to have to know all of it already. But if you never go get extra help, youre not going to get any better.Brashear recommends searching online, getting input from reviews, and asking friends about clinicians who will be near you. He says you need to find a teacher who you can work withand who has your best interest at heart. If you ask about the clinicians approach and style, youll find someone who feels approachable. There are horsemen who are great with horses but may not teach humans the way you personally want to learn, Brashear says. You need to find a personality match. Ask someone whos been to a clinic with the person you want to learn from. What is their teaching style? What are you going to learn? How is the clinic set up? A clinic needs to be fun. Its not a horse show. It should be informative. When you leave there, you shouldnt feel worse about yourself than when you showed up.Consider Training StylesBrashear says that he finds that most of his clinic students board their horses at a location without a trainer or keep their horses at home. However, sometimes riders who have trainers for specific disciplines reach out for horse behavior help or to get a different perspective.I think that if you have a trainer, its good to find out if the clinician that you want to work with shares the same horsemanship philosophy, says Brashear. You have to be careful with that because you can get confused. If you like that your trainer at home uses natural horsemanship, look for someone who trains in that style. If you learn natural horsemanship in one setting, and at the clinic its all about positive reinforcement, that can be confusing.Look for a clinician who uses a similar style to your current trainer. For example, if they both use natural horsemanship, the tips you learn will be more helpful. Photo by Heidi Nyland MeloccoHowever, he says there are times when its good to question how your usual trainer works.If youre starting to question your trainer, maybe you go to a clinician because youre looking for a different way, he says. Youre looking for whats right for you and to learn about the new style. Dont dismiss something because its new.Once youve found a teacher with the right approach and style, think about what you want to learn. Brashear says many clinics now can help you with trail obstacles or to hone your skills for ranch riding or a specific event. Even if you have a trainer you work with regularly, seeking help for a specific event or to expose your horse to a new event can be a good way to keep learning.Sometimes there might be a trainer who says, This clinician is coming to town and this is who I learned from/want to learn from. Good trainers know that they need to keep learning and getting different perspectives, too.Prep Your Gear for the ClinicOnce youve selected the clinician youll ride with, find out what they like riders to have ready at the clinic. Brashear says he likes students to have a rope halter and a long training lead (at least 12 feet).Find out what your clinician likes riders to have ready at the clinic. Brashear likes students to have a rope halter and a long training lead (at least 12 feet). Photo by Heidi Nyland MeloccoSome clinicians may have a kit to help you prepare and have their tools before you arrive. However, Brashear says if you take some good-quality gear from home, you should be able to work your horse well in what you have.Dont go out and buy all new tack because youre going to a clinic, he says. You dont want to confuse your horse by changing everything to match what you think the clinician will want. Find out if what you have works or if there may be a good reason for changing up your gearif it applies to what you need help with. Theres going to be somebody there thatll let you borrow something if you need it, and we always come with lots of training gear, too. Have the Right Mindset at the ClinicBrashears first tip for attending a clinic with your horse? Choose a growth mindset.Have an open mind and an open heart, he says. You might get a different perspective than you expected about your horse or the problem youre asking about. Thats why youre thereto get different info. If you go to get help, but then youre closed off and say, I dont do it that way, or Im not doing what you say, youre not going to learn a thing. I think that all clinicians at the core want to help people and horses, or they wouldnt do this.Have an open mind at the clinic. While its great to have fun with friends, be sure to listen to all of the info you can learn. Photo by Heidi Nyland MeloccoBrashear also advises watching and listening when the clinician works with other riders. If all riders pay attention, he says he can often get into deeper topics because he doesnt teach the same lesson over and over.Clinics are meant to be a fun time and a time with friendsjust dont get so involved in your own conversations that you dont watch and learn what others are working on, Brashear says. You may not need that specific lesson now, but theres something you can learn from everyone in the clinic. Think: How does whats being taught affect me? How does this coincide with what I do with my horse?Create a Healthy Balance for You and Your Horse During the ClinicBrashear says that many times horses and riders need some soaking time to relax and watch and learn from another clinic attendee. He says some riders have told him they want to be moving and learning all the time. That can be a lot for the horse and humanespecially if the horse isnt used to being ridden all day for a few days in a row.Take some soaking time to relax and learn from other riders at the clinic. Photo by Heidi Nyland MeloccoI tell people to be careful of when they go to a clinic, Brashear says. They cant be so excited to learn everything that they miss what they really needed. If you wear your horse out early, you might be done by the time the clinician teaches what you really wanted to learn.Brashear suggests checking in with your horse and remembering that only you and your horse matter.When you get there, try not to be thinking so much about everything else thats going on, he says. Just be there with your horse. Thats how youre going to create that partnership that Im working toward all the timeits by being there and being present with your horse.Brashear says that when he takes a clinic, he plans ahead to build in some downtime for himself and his horse.Im going to work with my horse for a bit, then I might sit out for a little bit and take some notes, he says. Ive got notes from [clinics] 25 years ago. When you take notes, it gives you something that you can refer back to.Brashear warns that if you want to record or video the clinic, make sure the clinician allows that before you begin.Meet the TrainerMike Brashear trains horses of all levels with natural and traditional horsemanship techniques. He focuses on creating relationships between horses and riders at clinics and during private training sessions. He and his wife, Laura, live near Fort Lupton, Colo.Brashears Final Tip for Horse ClinicsAs for Brashears final tip for you and your horse, he advises that when youre at the clinic, remember that youre the customer. Trust your gut. Youll know whats best for you and your horse to continue learning safely.This article about horse clinic tips appeared in the November/December 2023 issue of Horse Illustratedmagazine.Click here to subscribe!The post Tips for Getting the Most Out of Horse Clinics appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.